Letters From The Academy
by Barewolf
Summary: At age 19, Quatre decides to enrol for a year at the Martial Arts Academy deep in China, where Wufei is currently teaching. These are the heartfelt diary letters he sends home to his dearly missed friends
1. Chapter 1

Letters from the Academy

At age 19, Quatre decides to enrol for a year at the Chinese Martial Arts Academy where Wufei is currently teaching. These are the heartfelt diary letters he sends home to his dearly missed friends.

Day 1

To my dearest and most beloved friends Trowa, Duo, Heero, Noin, Relena, Sally, Noin, Hilde, and Rashid.  
I am missing you all so very much, even though it has been just five days since our wonderful, (if a little emotional), farewell party. I just know these coming weeks and months are going to be so difficult knowing you are all so far away.

I have arrived safely at the Academy after travelling for almost three days. Quite why they chose to locate this place so deep into Chinese territory I'll never know. The twelve hour train journey from Beijing was one of the most gruelling I've ever endured, but it was all worth it when I finally arrived. This really has to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The setting is absolutely breathtaking, with the Academy nestled on a mountainside, overlooking vast, beautiful green plains and a great lake that looks more like an ocean. I'll write more about this soon.

Enrolment was quite an experience. This was the first day of term today, so they had to process about a hundred new students (including me) as we arrived. We had to hang around for a good while in the main hall while everyone was enlisted, filled out the appropriate forms, and sorted out with rooms etc. It's funny, even at the ripe old age of 19, and after all I've experienced through the war and everything, I still felt quite intimidated, and afraid, just like I did on my very first day at school all those years ago. I wasn't the only one feeling like a fish out of water though. Many of the other new students, particularly the younger ones, looked quite petrified, the poor things. 

I befriended some of the other students within just minutes of arriving at the main hall. Being one of the older "newbies" here, (and, may I add, the ONLY person in the entire Academy with blond hair! - AND the only Westerner. Guess who stuck out like a sore thumb!), I was quickly singled out and adopted as big brother by a small group of these rather fretful youngsters who mistakenly seemed to believe that being older, I somehow knew what to do and where to go. Actually, it really was a bit of a blessing, as trying to help them made me forget about my own nerves and worries.

I remember Wufei telling me a while back, (he should be arriving here tomorrow by-the-way) that many parents send their older kids here (thirteens and up) because they will significantly increase their chances of getting good jobs and careers. I'm not sure if I'd want to force that on to my kids (if I had any of course) but he said that, although many of them often seem a little overwhelmed by the whole experience at first, by the end of the term, most of them have such a great time here, they don't ever want to leave!  
I really do hope that is the case, especially for one rather timid lad named Po, who quite literally had to be prised away from our little group when the time came for him to go and enrol. And Yes, Sally, As soon as I heard his name, I couldn't help but think of you.

The accommodation is clean, dry, and cosy. We have a small dormitory for six people. The room is not a bad size and is cheerfully decorated in warm colours. It has three bunk beds, one at either end and one in the middle (which is mine). There are two large windows with spectacular views out across the plains towards the East, so we get to see the sunset each evening. I can see myself spending much of my spare time sitting here, with teacup in hand, just admiring the sheer beauty of it all.

I will be sharing this large room with six other students, three of whom we have not yet met - they apparently will arrive in a couple of weeks time. My other two roommates are actually asleep now as I sit here in bed writing this letter. There's a guy called Ono who's on the bunk to my right, he's 20 and also classed as a mature student (the same as me) although communication has been sporadic at best as he can't speak English ad I'm still struggling with my Chinese. He seems very peasant and polite though and I'm sure we'll get along just fine. The other one (who's currently snoring away in the top bunk to my left right now) is in fact Po, the lad I told you about earlier. Po is just fourteen, and I get the impression that it really wasn't his idea to come here. His well-meaning parents have obviously paid a large chunk of their income for him to be here, and so he's honouring their wishes all the same. Po doesn't appear to have much self-confidence at the moment, but I'm sure the Academy will bring out the best in him, just as it will all of us. 

I know several of you have expressed misgivings about my coming here, but as I've said before, this is just something I really felt I needed and wanted to do.  
You all know how restless and unsettled I've been since the war ended. I realised early on that I needed to get away and deal with it, so when Wufei first suggested my coming here, somehow I just knew it was the right thing to do, and that it would give me the chance to restore the balance back into my life. Right now, I still feel I have made totally the right choice.

Well, It's 10pm now and we all have to be up at 5am. There is an introduction and welcoming ceremony in the main hall later on tomorrow morning, where we will get to meet the rest of the students, many of whom have already been here for several terms.

I am very tired so I'd better get some sleep now.

Please do take very good care of yourselves, all of you, and I will write more very soon.

Yours always,

Quatre 


	2. Chapter 2

Letters from the Academy **Chapter 2**

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**Day 2**

My dearest friends,

I know I always like to say that there's no time like the present to get started on something, but Boy! Did we get started today! At 5am the lights were switched on to friendly calls, no, yells! of "Good morning!, Time to get up now!" from the housemaster (in Chinese language). Ten minutes later we were outside doing exercises, and ten minutes after that, we were running up the side of a mountain!  
Admittedly it was only a short run, just twenty minutes or so, but I truly didn't realise just how unfit I have become. A number of the other, fitter students found it quite amusing to see me laying flat on my back gagging for air at the finish.  
A couple of them kindly made a point of helping me up as the group headed off for breakfast, but I can see I'm going to have to work extra hard, if I am to avoid being branded as the "old man" of the group.

Our group is named "Crane Group" (all of the groups are named after legendary and symbolic animals) and consists of about twenty first-year students. We'll be together for the first few weeks while our abilities are assessed. Then we'll be sorted to more appropriate groups based on our skills. Even on the first day, I have noticed a wonderful rapport between the students of our group. There's very much a "We're all in this together" feel, and I sense this bond will only get stronger as time progresses.

Breakfast was great. The portions were huge! and I was able to sit and meet with a group of some of the more senior students who are also closer to my age. I was a little unsure if they would want a first year student sitting with them, but to my surprise quite the opposite was true. It was actually they, who beckoned me over to their table and made a space for me. Whether it was because of my age, or because I am the only westerner here I have no idea, but they were very friendly, and all were more than keen to try out their English skills, which was great, because I was also keen to put the small amounts of Chinese language I'd learned into practice.

After breakfast the entire population assembled in the main hall for the introduction and welcoming ceremony, which involved a few age-old traditions, like the sounding of those huge Buddhist horns and some bells. The academy here has a heavy Buddhist influence. One of the major subjects here is Shaolin Kung-Fu, which is taught by the Buddhist protection monks living in the monastery adjoining the Academy.  
If it's one thing I've come to learn about Buddhists, it's that they love colour. There is colour everywhere here; from the vibrant orange robes they wear, to the masses of brightly coloured prayer flags and banners hoisted up all around the grounds.

I have to admit feeling a little conspicuous when all of us new students had to stand up at the front of the hall and be enthusiastically applauded (welcomed in) by the others.  
From up on the stage, looking back at the crowd and all around me, I could see nothing but a sea of jet-black hair, and then there was me... Looking like a platinum blond... light bulb! I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if I wasn't just about the tallest guy in our group.

All that said, they seem to have accepted me here with open arms. I must admit to being a little apprehensive at first, about how I would be received. Wufei did warn me it was not often that foreigners (particularly westerners) attended the Academy, although he didn't see that it would be a problem.

As it was the official day of welcoming, there was no afternoon training for first year students. Instead, we were encouraged to explore the grounds and local area to try to get a feel for the place. A small number of us from the Crane group decided to join up, together with young Po and also Ono, my two roommates. Both are in one of the other first-year groups (the snake group).

The grounds are huge, with every single inch of them being dominated by spectacular scenery. I'm really looking forward to training in such an incredible environment.

After several hours of exploring, I quietly slipped away from the others for a while just to grab a little contemplation time for myself. I've found a wonderful spot just below the main Eastern wall. There is a large grassy ledge that overlooks both the plains and the great lake. The ledge also has a lovely old tree to lean against or sit in. I think I may just have to claim this place as my little hide-away. I'd imagine the sunsets will be breathtaking from here. I'll make the effort this week to find out for certain.

I also had another great surprise today. Whilst sitting quietly at my new-found Shangri-La, admiring the view, I heard someone jump down from the wall onto the grassy ledge some ten or so paces behind me. At first I though it was one of the others from out little group, but then I heard a grinning voice say;  
"I knew it wouldn't take you long to find this place!" It was Wufei!

Before I realised what I was doing, I had bounced to my feet like a puppy with a huge grin on my face, ran across and eagerly embraced him. I think I embarrassed the poor fellow a bit with my over-enthusiastic greeting, but he didn't seem to mind.  
It has been almost a year since I last saw him in person, and I'm not afraid to say that I've really missed him. Especially his dry sense of humour.

I can't explain it fully yet, but there is something about Wufei that has changed dramatically. It is quite wonderful to see. He has this ... sparkle in his eye that was never there before. I've really never seen him look so happy or contented with life.

I know most of you will recall about eighteen months ago when many of us were living at the Winner mansion, how Wufei was then, after he'd finished his work with the preventers.  
For ages he had that distant, distracted, and generally 'fed-up with life' look. He moped around the house snapping at anyone who got in his way, while his life just seemed to lack any sort of direction. I know many of us were very worried about him.

I've never forgotten the day when the letter arrived from the Academy, inviting him to come and teach the young students here, and I'll certainly never forget seeing those tears run down his face as he read it.  
I think, somehow, we all knew that day, that Wufei was going to be all right again, and we were right. Sally's idea to secretly write to them was a stroke of genius.

After just one year of teaching here, Wufei has become third in command of the whole Academy and has a say in every decision made. He said he was honoured to have been chosen for the role so quickly, but he was unlikely to progress any further, because, he would never do anything that would take him away from teaching his students. Just in the short hour we spent together today, I could clearly see it's everything he lives for now. The students mean the world to him. He said he felt he was personally responsible for the futures of all of the students charged to his care, and it's a responsibility he doesn't take lightly. It's obvious he really cares about every last one of them. He even makes a point of knowing every single student by name. I get the impression that if just one of them were to leave here with anything less than a perfect education, he would take it very personally.

We could only spend about an hour together as he had lessons to prepare for tomorrow, but I know he'll be teaching my group in a few days time. That could be interesting!

We have, however, already agreed that I must be treated no differently than any of the others.  
I will be assessed over the next few weeks, and as I already have significant martial art skills, I should hopefully be moved to a more advance group. Once there I will be able to advance and hone my skills. Until then, I will follow the curriculum just like anyone else.

We also agreed last year that if I did come here, the fact that I was a Gundam Pilot would be kept totally secret. Only two other people know about Wufei's Gundam skills (No1 and No2 in charge) and that's how it will stay.

Today had been a good day all-round. I feel much more settled now, those around me are starting to relax more and we're all getting on just fine. It was so good to see Wufei again. I told him that I was writing to you guys and he asked me to say hi.

We've got a day of heavy exercise ahead tomorrow, so I will have to sleep now, especially if I want to run up that mountain again!

Do take care my friends. I will write again as soon as I can.

Love Quatre

End of Chapter 2


	3. chapter 3

Letters from the Academy **Chapter 3**

My dear friends...

Day 3 Tired.... Oh! so tired! Must rest,... I must sleep....

**Day 5 **

**2am Saturday morning.**

The weekend is here, and not a moment too soon.  
After two days of absolutely the most gruelling exercise EVER, many of us have been left licking our wounds.

I am in constant agony with severely aching muscles, some of which I think I've just discovered and used for the first time since my birth! Waking up in agony Thursday morning was bad enough, but I managed to work through the pain and exercise as normal, but when I awoke this morning, I really didn't think I was going to be able to move at all.  
My roommate Ono was pretty much the same, but between us, we managed to encourage each other enough to see past the pain and get up. I'm not kidding when I say it really felt like it was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Morning exercise today was interesting. Over half of the first-year students were hobbling, some could barely walk, let alone run up a mountain. Several were even leaning on each other for support as they slowly approached the training area. You could see the pain written all over their faces. It looked like an exodus of walking wounded leaving a war zone.

I know it's a bit cruel to say this, but in a way, I was quite relieved that it wasn't just us mature students who were feeling the strain. Until this morning, I was starting to get a little annoyed with myself about how much I had overestimated my levels of fitness. But seeing even some of the very-fit students struggling to move, made me realise my self-annoyance was unfounded.

I think our PT instructor found it quite amusing although he didn't openly show it. But credit where it's due - he did not make us run today. Instead we did a type of Tai Chi, a gentle routine that after about twenty minutes actually started to deal with the pain. For some, it was almost a total cure

At lunch, Wufei told me that the first Friday of term was usually always like this, but assured me the aching stage would quickly pass. Believe it or not, he said that the aches were proof we were doing everything correctly! He was also quick to point out that there was no shame or dishonour in becoming like we were, and it was certainly not a sign of weakness. He neither mocked nor judged me. Throughout lunch, his words offered nothing but encouragement, assurance, and friendship, it was quite touching to hear him speak like that, and reinforces my belief that Wufei's coming here was easily the best thing that's ever happened to him.  
Friday afternoon is free time. Students are encouraged to relax, rest up, and generally prepare themselves physically and mentally over the weekend (which is also rest time) for the next week of intensive exercise.

With that in mind, after lunch I went back to my room with the intention of just chilling out, and reading my book for a while. Unfortunately, when I got there, I discovered Po laying on his bed sobbing.

I must admit, the poor kid has looked unhappy all week; right from the first day he arrived. Naturally, I did what I could to comfort him, and after some persuading, finally got him to talk to me. It turns out, that just two days before he'd arrived here at the academy, he had been to his Grandfathers funeral. It seems they were very close and the death was a sudden and unexpected event. With all the rushing around he and his family were doing in preparation for him to come to the academy, the poor kid never got a chance to actually sit down and grieve. Well, he certainly made up for that today. For two hours he sobbed his heart out, finally letting out all of the grief he had been struggling to hold inside for the best part of a week. I felt so sorry for him as he poured out stories (in slightly broken English) about how much he loved his grandfather, and how they spent so much time together. They were really great friends. It was all so very sad, and I hate to say, but on one occasion he almost got me started. When he eventually calmed down, I encouraged him to have a sleep, which he did.

Later on at supper, he sat at the table with me, Wufei, Ono, and a couple of the other older students as we ate, and I think for the first time, I actually saw him produce a smile.

Po really needed to get that out of his system, and although he will probably still be a little sad for a while longer, somehow, I think he's going to be ok now. I'll make a point of keeping an eye on him for a while, just to make sure.

This evening, I finally managed to go out and watch the sun set from that little grassy ledge below the East wall (I told you about it in a previous letter). It was even more spectacular than I had imagined! With such clean air up here, the colours seem to be ten times more vibrant than anywhere else on the planet. I've never seen so many shades of purple in nature before, it was truly awe-inspiring.

I'd mentioned that it was my intention to watch the sunset to Wufei at lunchtime and invited him to join me, which he did. He sat beside me, but for the duration of the sun's setting we said very little. Despite that, I could tell he was as impressed as I was. Only afterwards did we talk, and boy! Did we talk!

I get the feeling there aren't many people who have talked with Wufei in the way that we talked tonight. For nearly four hours the conversation was unending and intensive. It was witty and intelligent, and we touched on oh! so many subjects.

It was a strange feeling, sitting up there on that wall in the darkness, looking up at the incredibly clear and starry night, putting the world to rights with someone who usually seems to have so little to say about anything.

I feel privileged that tonight I have witnessed yet another side of Wufei, a side that so few others have seen. It's a side that I really wish he'd show more often, because it was truly great to see.

Well, I'm going to rest up this weekend. Skill assessments begin next week, so we really get to see who has the skills to move on to the more advanced classes. It's important to me to get into the advanced class so I will take some time over the weekend to practice my skills in readiness.  
I remain confident I'll do ok though, bearing in mind I have the advantage of full-blown battle combat, something most of the students here (I'm very glad to say) have not had to go through.

Well, it's 2:30 am so I'd better sign off.

As always, please look after yourselves. I will write again as soon as I can.

Love always

Quatre

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Letters from the Academy **Chapter 4**

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**Thursday of week 2**

****

My dearest friends...

What an amazing week it's been so far. The skills and talents of the other students are really coming out into the open now, and some of them are mind-blowing! Today, we were assessed on several basic forms to determine the beginners from the more experienced. I have to say from the start that the skills some of the students have shown are superb. Traditionally here in China, these skills are passed down from father to son, and I'm glad to see that tradition is still very much alive and well.

Each of us took it in turn to perform our chosen forms while the others sat around and watched. There were several instructors sat watching together judging the intricate complexities of the form, looking for those 'experience' signs such as stance, balance, and breathing (chi).

I must admit, I was surprised how nervous I was getting up in front of the crowd to perform my chosen form. Many of the more seasoned students had also turned out to watch, adding to the pressure. Some of the younger first-year guys were really nervous too, young Po was one of them, but then he surprised everyone when he got up and did one of the most complicated forms there is, and he did it absolitely flawlessly. It's pretty obvious he's been doing this from a very early age.  
He was one of the few who got an applause, which left him stood in the centre with a beaming smile across his face - that was really nice to see, considering everything he's been through lately.

My performance didn't get a full-blown applause, like Po's but did get lots of positive mutterings, nods, and tones of approval. I chose a very basic form - the long fist. It's quite long and has many stances and moves, but I performed it impeccably and Wufei (who was also watching) has since told me that it's easily put me in the running for the class I want.

As you know, with my Gundam training, I could have chosen a more complicated form, but I don't want to draw too much attention to myself, - only enough to get me into the advanced class. I've noticed the more 'promising' students seem to get a lot more tutoring time than the slightly less capable, which I think is a little unfair, but it's how it's always been.

I'm only here in an attempt to re-balance my life through experiencing the discipline of training, so I intend to take up as little of the instructor's valuable tuition time as I can. Especially when there are so many deserving young students who really need their time. I don't want to be responsible for taking that away from them.

I will say this though, Gundam pilot or not, there are several students here who's raw fighting skills surpass my own, and there are people here I certainly would not want to fight for real! I'm just glad they're all friendly, and none of them know Wufei's or my true identities.

Our group (the crane group) had a training lesson with Wufei yesterday morning and it was easily one of the best lessons we've had so far.  
Don't get me wrong, I mean all of the lessons here are very good and meticulously well planned, but Wufei's was... well it was just exceptional.  
The students have quickly developed huge amounts of respect for him and it's not hard to see why. He seems to have this natural way of putting his point across; he never has to explain anything twice. Despite his potential to look, and be, fairly intimidating as a master instructor, he somehow puts everyone at ease. He is very patient with anyone who struggles to get it right, particularly the younger students, and when it does finally go right, he always looks them straight in the eye and tells them a very genuine "well done.  
The best thing of all though, is that Wufei is completely in his element. You can see he's absolutely loving every minute that he's teaching the students, and seeing that, just reinforces to me that Wufei's being here is so right.

The muscle soreness is no longer a problem now. That first week was pretty gruelling, but now things are getting less and less achy with each passing day. This time next week I think (I hope!) I'll have totally forgotten about muscle cramp!

Things are settling nicely into a routine now, although it will only be another week before our crane group is split up and we will re-form in our new ability-based groups.  
It will be sad to see the group split up because we've all got on so well. I'm not sure if the very special rapport we seem to have developed will be duplicated in the new group. Even in this short time, it feels like we've been through a lot together, especially as we were all new to this when we started, and we supported each other through it. I know we will still see everyone during the day but somehow it won't be the same.

Oh listen to my negativity talking there! What am I saying?! Of course things will turn out ok, I'm sure they will! I guess I must just be tired. I'd better go to bed.

My blessings to you all.

Love Quatre

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Letters from the Academy **Chapter 5**

**Wednesday Week 3**

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My dearest friends.

I feel a tugging on my heart as I write today. Oh! how I am missing you all so much!

Homesickness has been very predominant this week. I really long for just a simple glimpse of home, a tiny thread of familiarity to comfort me in this amazing, yet sometimes lonely land of culture, where I have been residing for almost three weeks now.

I guess I was half expecting this at some point, I just didn't realise it would be so dominating. Thoughts of home have been occupying my mind constantly and there have been times when I've even thought about heading back - just for a little while, but of course we all know I can't do that, at least not if I want to achieve what I came here to do.

It hasn't helped matters that I had a serious confrontation yesterday with one of the older first year students. It's been playing over and over in my mind, and if I am to be honest, I'd have to admit the whole thing has been getting me down a little.

He was about seventeen I guess, and oh! so arrogant and rude. He had a real problem with me being here (being a westerner). He claimed that allowing outsiders to learn these 'indigenous' Chinese martial arts, was taking away their purity, and was killing them off. In a way, to a very limited point, I could understand how he might have been coerced into believing that, but in reality, the belief is nonsense. Diversifying the arts to other cultures and nations, if anything, will keep them alive and safe from extinction, but that's a whole new debate for another time.

On a number of occasions this week he has given me some harsh glares and insults which I'd rather not repeat in this letter. I have just either ignored them, or simply smiled back at him, refusing to engage him in the confrontation he's obviously been spoiling for. It was interesting to note how well he spoke English, considering how much he claimed to dislike outsiders and their influences on his culture. This led me to believe that this was more about him posturing and showing off, rather than forcing a chosen belief. Or in other words, he was clearly displaying all the classic hallmarks of a bully.

I did make efforts to try to sort things out between us. When I saw him alone earlier this week I approached him, and in the friendliest, most diplomatic way I could, offered to talk through our differences, but it was no good. He wouldn't acknowledge me; he couldn't even look me in the eye. He just blew up and stormed off.

Things unfortunately came to a head yesterday.

There can be both positive, and negative things that come from 'playing down' one's own abilities. One of the advantages (or disadvantages depending on how you look at it) is keeping your opponent in the dark about your true capabilities. Of course, if your opponent is doing the same, then things could get interesting.

He had watched me do the very basic 'long fist' routine last week (in the skill assessments) and, had obviously assumed that, as I was a first year student, then that was the best I could do. His skills were quite advanced, and obviously, he'd got it into his head that I would be a pushover in a fight.

Yesterday he put me to the test. He purposely knocked into me, hard, as we passed outside on one of the training areas. I was on the way back from morning training, walking and chatting with four of my Crane group friends. I grew a little annoyed as I quickly realised what he was trying to do. Not wanting to play his silly games, I just shrugged it off and carried on walking. Unfortunately he was not willing to do the same.

I'm not sure what shocked him the most. The speed at which he found himself slumped on the ground nursing a bloody lip, or the fact that he hadn't laid a single finger on me despite attempting to do some serious damage by using a lethal combination of several deadly manoeuvres.

After his failed attack, he quickly skulked away with his tail between his legs, looking very humiliated and embarrassed.  
There was a strange, and slightly tense silence from my friends as they quickly realised that I knew a great deal more than I had been letting on. I was annoyed with my attacker for putting me in this position, as I really didn't want my true Gundam skills to be known by anyone. A large number of other students who had witnessed the event began to wander over and mill around. I figured it was time to make a hasty retreat.  
I signalled to my friends to meet me at the grassy ledge on the East wall, where we would talk. I needed to do what I could in the way of damage limitation, before the rumours began flying.

All sorts of dreadful things went through my mind as I jogged away from the small crowd that had gathered.  
If they found out I was a Gundam pilot, my time here would be over. I certainly couldn't stay here with that kind of attention. The Gundams are regarded as something of a legend here. I often overhear conversations where they are excitedly talked about or referred to. The Gundam pilots are heroes to many at the academy.

I hated lying to my friends. I felt awful, but the best cover story I could come up with was that I had seen some action during the war and had trained as a soldier. I suppose technically, it wasn't lying - at least that's what I'm telling myself to ease the guilt feelings. I told them the real reasons for my being here, and literally pleaded with them not to tell anyone about my war past. I said it caused too many painful memories to speak of it.

They were so good, so understanding and more than willing to help me keep it quiet. I felt like such a hypocrite. But it was either that, or almost certainly be forced to leave. I guess there are times when the occasional white lie or slight manipulation of the truth really is necessary to maintain the status quo. Some things are just best left being un-known. I'm certain that this was one such occasion.

I went back to my room and tried to read for a while, but I was way too distracted with the incident playing over and over in my mind. Eventually, Wufei poked his head round the door and asked if we could talk for a while. He had a serious, concerned look on his face, and I knew straight away it was about the incident.

We decided to go outside and take a walk through the grounds while we talked. A few minutes later we were walking on the upper pathway that eventually led to the mountain we had been running up and down each morning.

Wufei told me he had heard what had happened. He was quick to assure me that I was totally vindicated of any responsibility and that I was not to blame in any way, which I must admit, even though I knew it already, was reassuring to hear coming from him. Apparently, almost a dozen of the older students had come to him and expressed grave concern at what they had witnessed. All were quick to exclude me from any blame, but were extremely concerned for their fellow students with such a 'loose cannon' in their midst.

Wufei then apologised to me for the incident, which threw me a little. I tried to protest his apology, arguing that it couldn't possibly have been his, or anyone else's fault, but he stopped me mid-sentence. He explained that this boy (his name was Chang by the way) had already been reprimanded three times for bad behaviour in the first two weeks, something almost unheard of in the Academy. I was surprised to hear that, yet,.. not surprised - if you know what I mean.

As I suggested to Wufei that the boy was just misguided, and the academy was probably what he needed to get him straightened out, we came to a halt. Wufei looked at me, quite jadedly. He looked really troubled. He said; "I'm afraid it's a lot more serious than that Cat," and I knew straight away. Just by the tone in his voice, I realised that Chang was going to be expelled.  
I asked Wufei if it was true. His reply was quiet and regretful, he reluctantly nodded and told me that he had no choice.

I was deeply troubled to learn that this young man was about to be kicked out of the Academy, especially as it was through something that I was involved in.  
Expulsion is a big deal over here. It brings dishonour, not only to whoever is thrown out, but also to that persons family, and it can stick for generations. I would hate to bring that on anyone, regardless of what they had done to me.

I protested, suggesting it was a little harsh. After all, the kid was just misguided. Surely there was something that could be salvaged I thought. But then Wufei said something that I could not argue with. "The moves Cat," he said quietly, "The moves he used on you. They are so deadly, their use by students has been forbidden in this academy for generations.  
He added to the conversation with something else that I also couldn't ignore;  
He suggested that Chang believed I was just a beginner, yet still he used those deadly moves on me. But what if I had been a genuine beginner? Wufei was adamant I would have been, at best, severely injured, or at worst, dead.  
My blood ran cold as it dawned on me;  
If Chang had chosen to pick on one of the younger inexperienced students, we could have had a death on our hands today. It was a sobering thought, one that neither of us was keen to contemplate.

The full weight of Wufei's responsibility now became very clear to me.

Wufei looked quite angry about the whole thing. Angry at Chang for doing what he did, but also angry at himself for allowing it to go this far in the first place.  
He was saying things like; "I can not believe I've exposed my students to such unacceptable danger," and "Why the hell didn't I read the warning signs"  
He cussed at himself, saying that three reprimands in just over a week should have been more than adequate warning, and that he should have sent Chang packing well before it ever came to this.  
He was seriously beating himself up about the potential danger he had failed to see. I did what I could to try to convince him that he wasn't to blame but he was having none of it.

But he finally calmed down after he, unthinkingly said to me; "I'm just so glad that he chose to attack you, and not the others"  
There was a long, thinking pause, before he realised what he'd just said. Then he looked at me and sighed, climbing down a little from his stressed-out state.  
He apologised and said that it didn't quite come out how he meant, and that he didn't mean he was glad I was attacked.  
The poor guy had got so wound up about the whole incident that he didn't seem to know what he was saying.

I soon found out that one of the reasons Wufei was so seriously on edge, was because he had not yet communicated with Chang's parents and told them the bad news. It was something he was obviously dreading. For moral support, I offered to stick around while he made the call, which, to my surprise, he accepted. Once the dreaded deed had been done, he seemed a lot calmer.

Later on, in the afternoon I saw Chang walking out of the gates carrying a suitcase. Outwardly, he looked defiant and unbothered, yet, I sensed a real sadness coming from him as he glanced back several times at the main gate as he disappeared down the hill. I made a point of staying out of sight. I didn't want to make it any harder for him. Several of the students had stopped and watched him leave. There were no comments, no calls, no waves goodbye, just neutral looks.

I saw Wufei later on at supper, although I decided it best not to join him. He'd made a point of sitting with some of the younger first year students, and they were all engaged in light and friendly conversation with him. Much laughter came from that table as I sat and quietly observed. Wufei seemed strangely amicable, much more than he usually is, and I tried to fathom the thoughts that must have been going through his mind about what had happened earlier. There was definitely a sense of guilt there. His belief that he had exposed these youngsters to such potential danger was something he will not forget easily, and knowing Wufei, I expect he'll have a hard time forgiving himself about it too.  
But as I observed him with the students tonight, I knew the healing process had already begun. Just by sensing his unusual warmth towards them, I realised that this was his way of quietly saying, "I'm not going to let you down again."

I know from now on he'll certainly be much more wary of their safety, and will never knowingly expose them to such dangers in the future.

Well, It's very late, no, early! I really have to sleep now.

Love as always

Quatre

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Letters from the Academy Chapter 6

**Thursday Week 4**

My dearest friends.

It's now been a week since that unfortunate incident with Chang, the kid expelled for bullying. I must admit, it played on my mind for quite a few days before I was finally able to let it go.

Things in general have moved on too. Our first-year 'Crane' group is no more. On Friday, we were re-assigned to new ability-based classes, and began intensive training this week. I'm glad to say that I was selected for the advanced group (called the Tiger group) which is what I wanted.  
It was sad to see the Crane group split up, but some of the members have been assigned to my new class, so at least there are a few familiar faces at the start. One of those people is Po (from my dormatory).

I learned a few days ago, that he was presented with his very first sword when he was just six years old. Apparently his father owns and runs a Dojo, and has obviously taught him the many varied and advanced skills that he knows today.  
But after saying all that, I still get the impression Po is not here of his own choice. He still looks pretty miserable and fed up, even though he says he's ok when I ask him (and I've felt the need to ask him a lot lately)  
I realise he's still grieving for his Grandfather, but I have to admit, I am a little worried about him. Since coming here he's hardly made any friends his own age, and now he's moved up to the advanced group, it's going to be even more difficult as most of the students are third and fourth years and all much older.  
He's hung around with me quite a bit recently, especially after his upsetting time last week, which I don't mind, but he really needs the company of peers his own age, not an oldie like me.  
I get the feeling that he's spent so much time studying in the family Dojo, learning his skills, (or having it drummed into him by his over-eager parents), that he's missed out on just being a kid. It's almost as if he doesn't know how to interact with other kids his age, he doesn't seem to have the social skills or experience.

The academy has a 'spirit', which is not just about learning martial arts. It's also about social and cultural interaction. You'd be surprised at the diverse elements of culture and tradition that vary massively between the North, South, East and West of the country. As we have students from all areas, there is a wonderful opportunity to exchange and compare those differences.  
I guess this is something I have noticed more than most, being a Westerner and all, but these things, like cultural diversity, are the things that really enrich the experience of being here. These are the things that help make those memorable moments you fondly look back on in years to come. Po is really missing out on all of this. I think he's definitely missing the point.  
As of yet, I'm not sure what I can do to help him overcome this, but I feel I must try to do something. My fondness for Po is too great to allow me to just sit by and watch him endure such obvious unhappiness. I'll let you know if I come up with something.

After that incident with Chang last week (the expelled kid), Wufei has done a thorough review of the safety and disciplinary procedures here, and from what I understand, has recommended quite a few changes to the governing body. On Monday, he addressed the whole academy about it.

There is an open assembly on Monday mornings (after training) where all of the academy students (about 400 of us in all) are brought up-to-date on the issues of the week, and where any certificates and awards are handed out for exceptional efforts or achievements etc.  
The meetings are designed to keep the students well informed of all things that are current about the academy, whether they are good things or bad - nothing is covered up. This is instrumental in preventing things like bad rumours and any other elements that could sour the wonderful spirit of this place. It's quite informal, and students are encouraged to ask any questions they wish to, or to raise any concerns.

Straight away in his address, Wufei confirmed that an expulsion had taken place last week, and that it was on the account of bullying, permanently laying to rest the rumours that had cropped up over the weekend. I guess he could have easily stood there and droned on about what will and will not be tolerated at the academy, and reminded everyone of what was expected of them, reciting the academy rules etc..... but he did not. Instead, he launched into an incredibly captivating, and inspired speech about what it meant to have true honour and integrity, and what it takes to forge a true warriors' heart.

For nearly twenty minutes, four hundred pairs of eyes were glued to Wufei' position as he stood at the podium. The hall was totally and utterly silent apart from his voice. The entire population was completely mesmerised, many of them leaning forward, straining to hear his words, almost daring not to breathe in case they missed anything.

Obviously the purpose of his speech was to remind everyone that this kind of behaviour would never be accepted at the academy, but the way he had chosen to deliver that message was truly a work of art. His speech emphasised heavily that a true warriors heart must be free from prejudice, intolerance and hatred of others. And that for honour, skills must only be used for justice, and for the protection of the innocent and weak, but never for revenge or self gain. He continually paid tribute to all of the students stood before him, edifying them by saying that he truly believed each and every one of them was capable of owning the heart of a true warrior, and with continued dedication to study, would each lead a life of true honour and integrity.

Towards the end of his speech, he heaped a lot of praise onto the dozen-or-so students who had separately come forward about the incident last week. Not just because they had done the right thing in reporting it, rather than trying to deal with it themselves, but, because every single one of them had expressed concerns for the safety of their fellow students. He closed by saying that it was an honour to be able to teach students with such integrity, and felt assured that with such a remarkable and positive spirit being so prevalent here, the academy was sure to have one of its best years yet.

I think a poorly written speech like that could have had a high cringe factor, but this was just, quite frankly, brilliant! Wufei had got it just right.

You could see he'd captured the imaginations of all of the students.  
Many of them began to applaud him as he walked from the podium, and soon the entire hall was clapping and cheering enthusiastically, including most, if not all, of the training staff. Wufei looked slightly shocked at the applause, although he tried not to show it. I could tell he was definitely not expecting that kind of response. He just looked straight ahead as he made his way slowly along the stage and down the steps. His face remained straight and serious, right up until the last step off the stage when he couldn't help but form a very slight, involuntary grin. I only spotted it for a moment before he disappeared, but it was enough for me to realise that he must have been fairly pleased with himself.

I made a new best-friend yesterday! I say that with a slight grin on my face because I actually know very little about this guy except that every time he sees me he just bows and grovels and keeps trying to hug me! It's slightly, no, it's VERY embarrassing! I'd never even seen this lad before yesterday (I guess he's about sixteen). He was sat not far away from me yesterday at lunch, when he began choking badly. After various failed attempts by his friends to help him, the situation started to get serious. It quickly became apparent that nobody nearby seemed to know what to do or how to deal with it. I'd remembered a first-aid technique I had learned many years ago called the Heimlich manoeuvre. I hurried over and gave it a try. It worked!  
A lump of potato shot out of his mouth really fast and flew across the room hitting another student square on the forehead! It was a great shot! Ok I can laugh about it now, but at the time things looked quite serious as the poor guy was really panicking (along with a number of his friends), and he was actually starting to turn blue. Once he'd taken a few moments to recover, he became overwhelmed with gratefulness. He couldn't speak a word of English, so he just babbled on in Mandarin "Thank you, Thank you!" he repeated over and over, holding my arms and alternating between burying his face into my shoulder and bowing, exclaiming repeatedly that I'd saved his life! Several of his friends also kept enthusiastically patting me on the back in obvious appreciation.  
In honesty, it was all getting a little embarrassing! I just did what anyone with such knowledge would have done. Don't get me wrong, I was very relieved the lad was ok, but I would have much preferred to just return quietly to my Tuna salad without such a fanfare.  
Eventually he returned to his table but not before insisting on learning my name and shaking my hand about nine times!

Later that day, and again today, our paths crossed, and the grovelling started all over again, although fortunately not as intense this time. He just doesn't want to stop thanking me! I've tried insisting that it really isn't necessary, but he can't understand what I'm saying. It might be worth consulting my cultural database (Wufei), to see what I need to say to cool him off without insulting the fellow.

Anyway, as always, I've spent much more time than I intended writing this letter, and I really must sleep.

Love always

Quatre

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Letters from the Academy **Chapter 7**

**Saturday Week 5**

My Dearest Friends

I hate starting on a negative note, so I'll begin by saying that the weather has been fine and sunny here all week. Unfortunately, that's just about all the positives I can think of right now. It's been a very rough week.

My poor roommate Po has suffered probably one of the worst weeks of his entire young life, and I seem to be the only person that he has been willing to turn to.  
I know I mentioned before that I was worried about him, well it seems my concerns were more than warranted.

He had been looking more and more down as the week progressed, and late on Tuesday night the tears came back. At first I thought it was more grief for his Grandfather, so again, I did what I could to comfort him, along with our other roommate Ono who was also woken by Po's sobs.  
He was sat on my bunk, weeping well into the early hours until utter tiredness eventually forced him to sleep again. I began to realise that there was more to this than just simple grief, but he was very reluctant to talk to me this time. Once he'd gone back to sleep, Ono and I tried talking about it, but couldn't progress very far because of the language barrier. The best we could do was just agree to keep an eye on Po, and be there for him if he needed us.

When it was time to get up, Po had had barely two hours sleep. He'd slept soundly through the wake-up call and I was unsure whether to wake him or not, but Ono gestured that we should leave him to sleep it off, and I agreed.

Missing early morning exercise here is a major deal. It doesn't happen often and is classed as disrespectful to your instructors and teachers, unless of course you are sick, or injured and / or out-of-action. I think Po's problems could have fallen within any of those categories, so before exercises began, I pulled the training instructor aside and explained the truth about Po's absence. He was fine about it, and thanked me for bringing it to his attention.

That evening I made a point of trying to spend some time with Po, by which time I had become considerably more worried about him. He'd made it to afternoon training but hadn't said a single word to anyone, at dinner he ate alone, and afterwards he just went back to the room and lay on his bunk. After much persuading, I finally got him to come outside and join me at the grassy ledge on the west wall where we sat and watched the sunset. (something I now do most evenings.  
Conversation was extremely difficult, with me doing most of the talking. At first, all I could get from him were reluctant, one-syllable answers. Eventually I found myself, in slight desperation, gripping him firmly by the shoulders and pleading with him to tell me what was wrong, letting him know I was extremely worried.

On hearing the extent of my concern for him, he suddenly burst into tears again, and finally caved in. For ages he wept and wept, blubbering out more and more snippets of why he was so very unhappy, slowly allowing me to see the full picture of his despair.  
Throughout his whole life, he has had traditional martial arts drummed into him. His parents had planned to send him here to the academy even before he was born. At some point in the future, he is to become the owner and manager of his fathers Dojo, passing on the lessons and traditions of the family name style to other students. His entire family is seriously pushing him to do well here so the family name can remain strong and honourable within the business and traditional circles of which it is a part. However, among all of this thoughtful planning and meticulous scheduling, his parents forgot to consider just one simple thing - what did Po want? It seems Po's entire life has already been planned out to its entirety, but nobody has ever actually bothered asking him if he was ok with it, except just one person - his grandfather. It was so heart wrenching to hear, I could have cried with him.

Po was trapped. To deviate from his rigidly planned life would mean to be branded as a failure and to bring dishonour to his family, something he desperately didn't want to do. Yet, he was so dreadfully sick of being pushed to learn, learn, learn, and learn at such constant and rigorously intensive levels, he felt he couldn't go another day at the academy without completely loosing his mind. He was so depressed about it, I could see that he really, genuinely, was not far from some kind of mental breakdown.

It seems his grandfather was the only person in the world who knew about this and apparently was subtly working on Po's parents to try to ease some of the burden and pressure on him, the same pressure that has begun crushing him again.

I think that knowing his grandfather was taking steps to do something about the problem was the only thing that kept Po from going under. But with his grandfather dead, Po lost all hope. He seemed to have thrown in the towel. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had even pondered on suicide, a thought that sent alarm bells ringing in my head. By the time I'd reached that thought, I was extremely worried.

I knew I was in deep on this one. I could see that he actually felt a little better for finally sharing his problems with me, which made me realise the crucial responsibility I had just been given. There was no way that I could walk away from this and leave him alone to deal with it. If I did, Po was as good as finished as far as having any hope left, and that would not be a good thing, not good at all.

Realising these were very serious and desperate times, I took a calculated risk and did something I actually vowed I would never do whilst I was here at the academy. After getting him to swear allegiance to keeping it a total secret, and explaining that I would have to leave the academy if it were known by others, I finally revealed to Po my true identity; Gundam pilot zero-four.

I know this sounds a little vain, but the Gundams and their pilots are a bit like superheroes to many of the students here (I think I've already mentioned that before). I was desperate to give Po some solid ground on which he could pin some hope once more, So I figured that if he knew a genuine Gundam pilot was looking out for him, and taking on his cause, instead of just an ordinary person, it might carry a little more clout.

Fortunately, it seemed to work. He was a little disbelieving at first, so I showed him the tiny group photo I keep in the small neck pendant that you guys all got me as a going away gift. He recognised you Relena right away, and also Noin and Sally, you guy's he'd seen in the media archives a few times before. Fortunately, Wufei was not in the picture as it was the one we took at the actual farewell party and he wasn't there, so his identity has not been compromised. When I showed Po that the pendant was clearly made of Gundanium alloy, no further convincing was necessary. He was satisfied I was the real deal.

For a while, Po, a little star-struck, seemed to completely forget about his troubles as he realised he was sat face to face with a genuine Gundam pilot. He even said that he'd built one of those scale model figures of my beloved Sandrock! As well as Trowa's Heavyarms, and they were hung up on the ceiling of his bedroom at home!  
This has given him something to get excited about and hopefully, give him something positive and detracting to focus on for a while.

We talked into the evening and I made a pact with him that I would work with him to help find a solution to his problems, for which he was very grateful. In return, he said he would try his best to carry on as normal at the academy, and try not to be so sad or negative anymore.

I was still extremely worried about Po's state of mind, and realised that at best, all I'd done is bought us some time. I knew I would have to involve Wufei and possibly others on this one.

As we stood at the foot of the east wall, ready to climb up off the grassy ledge and head back, Po nervously extended his hand to me for a handshake. He was clearly appreciative of what I had done for him and I guess this was the best he could think of to say thank you. As we stood there in the darkness, shaking hands, I realized this was going to be one mission where failure was simply not an option.

I'm sorry guys, but I will have to tell you what happened tomorrow, as I can't keep my eyes open now. I must sleep.

Take care my friends.

Love Quatre

End of Chapter 7


	8. Chapter 8

Letters from the Academy Chapter 8

Sunday Week 5

My Dearest Friends

It's very early Sunday Morning, and I sit here once again on my favourite (slightly dew-soaked) grassy ledge, overlooking the distant misty land, slowly coming to life before me under the new-day's sun. I just can't tell you guys enough how beautiful this place looks, especially at first and last light.

After a good night's sleep, and armed with a flask of tea, I can now tell you the rest of what happened this week.

On Wednesday evening, when Po finally headed back to the dorm after our long talk out here on the ledge, I headed off in search of Wufei.

As I said before, I was desperately worried for Po's state of mind. I knew that this had to be addressed, quickly and thoroughly, or the consequences… well, even now, I don't want to think about the potential consequences.

I found Wufei in his office, finishing up on some paperwork. It was actually only the second time I'd been in his office. It's quite large with traditional-style furniture and flooring. It has a main desk with a very comfy looking leather chair, has a wall full of books on one side, and a more informal 'lounge' area with tea table and cushions on the other side.

For the next half an hour, over a cup of traditional tea, I explained to him the entire situation and details about Po's position and about how seriously concerned I was.

Wufei knew of Po, and he was aware of the family Dojo, apparently it was one of the more famous and 'affluent' of the many traditional family named Dojo's scattered throughout the country.

He was disturbed that one of his students was so obviously unhappy; I could see he was taking it quite personally, as if it was a reflection on his ability to run the academy.

He willingly admitted that he was, at that time, uncertain of what to do, but agreed with me that this had to be dealt with straight away.

I realised that 'technically' this was an academy administration issue and I, as a student had no jurisdiction here, but I knew Po wouldn't just sit down and tell his problems to anyone. Whichever way Wufei chose to deal with it, I knew that I had to be involved at a key level, so, after realising there was no 'right moment' to mention it, I finally informed Wufei that I'd told Po who I really was.

The initial look on his face clearly showed his thoughts of "well, that was stupid," although to his credit he didn't actually say it. But when I explained my reasoning; that I genuinely believed it was probably the only thing that would hold Po's mind together for a while longer, then he became more understanding. I was quick to assure Wufei that his own identity remained unchanged.

I explained that I had to be involved, and in the context of 'Gundam pilot', not as a fellow student, because that was the nature of my promise of help.

Wufei understood the theory, and was willing to go along with it, although he did say he would be counting on me to be his guide through this anyway.

After just ten minutes of trying to figure out the best way to handle it, we both concluded that the only way forward was to approach the parents, a prospect I figured Po would not be too thrilled about. We realised we would have to be very tactful and resourceful in order to yield a satisfactory result for all involved.

It was late, so we decided to sleep on it and continue talking 'strategy' in the morning. In the meanwhile, it was decided that I would shadow Po in a more 'official' capacity; just to make sure he kept out of harms way.

In light of what I had told him, Wufei wrote out a special warrant - a date-sealed scroll that approved me temporary discretionary powers - a kind of 'immunity' from the very strict academy rules that would enable me to do whatever I saw fit, without question, in order to maintain Po's safety and well-being and prevent further suffering.

I'm glad he wrote that warrant, because in the morning I almost needed it.

It was at morning training. Things seemed to be going ok. The group had finished their usual run and we were stood in rows simultaneously practicing a number of standard moves, punches and kicks etc. Po was one row ahead and two places to the right of me.

The instructor, (who always caries a big stick around with him!) was walking around as usual, making sure everyone was doing it correctly, offering comments and pointers to anyone who didn't have it exactly right. He approached Po and spoke a few words to him in Chinese, simultaneously tapping his stick lightly on Po's arm, indicating him to lower it slightly. I didn't fully understand all the words, but I knew he was saying something like "Come on, you know how to do this, you're not trying!" and the resulting look on Po's face was enough to tell me that trouble was brewing.

This happened with several different moves over a period of some ten-or-so minutes. Po was struggling to get them right, probably because he was way too distracted and his mind was elsewhere. The instructor approached him on several occasions, each time, making similar comments like "No not like that!" and "You're not trying!" each time, gently tapping Po with the stick to indicate which arm or leg was out of place.

I could see Po getting more and more wound up. His face was slowly turning redder and redder as the instructor kept nagging him to do it correctly. I could sense the anger and rage bubbling up inside of him; I realised an outburst was imminent.

"Calm down Po!" I urged quietly from behind, but I was too late. Po suddenly went nuts! In a fit of uncontrolled rage, he grabbed the instructors' stick and threw it to the ground screaming a sudden torrent of what I can only guess was abuse (it was in pure Chinese) at the somewhat surprised looking man. For a moment I was uncertain what to do, but before anyone could react, Po took to his heels and ran.

The other students all looked at each other, some were ready to go after him but the instructor gestured for them to stay put. I quickly stepped forward and tried explaining that Wufei had instructed me to look out for him, but the instructor couldn't understand me (or rather, my English). One of the other English-speaking students came forward and translated for me and I quickly got the instructors blessing to go after him.

By the time I 'd set off, Po had disappeared. I went back to the room but he wasn't there. I looked in several other places, and eventually found him huddled under the wall at the grassy ledge, sobbing and shaking. I realised it was a bad mistake to assume that he could carry on as normal just because I'd promised to help.

Po was in a panic, convinced he would be expelled from the academy, and that all of the things he desperately didn't want to happen had just become a reality. I however, was certain that would not be the case under these exceptional circumstances and tried to tell him so, but he was inconsolable.

I guess I must have sat there with him for about thirty minutes just trying to calm him down. I was doing a good job too until Wufei jumped down from the wall and made an appearance. Po began to panic again, obviously thinking that Wufei was about to tell him to leave.

"I heard what happened" said Wufei in a surprisingly sympathetic voice,

"Do not worry Po, you are not in trouble" he tried to reassure the boy, "At least, not this time, although… I would strongly recommend that you actually didn't do that again!" There was a tone of subtle humour to his voice, I guess it was his way of trying to pull Po out of his obvious despair, and surprisingly, it worked a little.

"I'm… I'm not in trouble?" asked Po in a stutter, still visibly trembling.

"No" assured Wufei again.

"But why?" asked Po.

Wufei glanced up at me, "Well, I guess you have... your Gundam friend here to thank for that" he replied enigmatically.

In a move totally inappropriate for the moment, I just grinned like an idiot and waved. Even now, I don't know why I did that!

Po looked a little taken aback, but before he could say anything Wufei asked Po to stand up, still with a strangely sympathetic voice.

Po nodded and climbed to his feet, still very trembly.

I asked Wufei what he had got planned.

After donning his diplomatic 'official academy representative' voice, he directed his quietly spoken answer to Po.

He said something like;

"Po, I understand what you've been going through, and I am very sorry to hear you have been suffering like this. I want you to know that I intend to do everything within my powers to get this situation sorted out as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and to get you back on your feet again."

Po nodded in appreciation.

Wufe continued,

"Do not worry about your academy placement, you have my word it is absolutely safe, but for the meanwhile, I have made some temporary arrangements for you, to give you a short break from the academy and the training. I want you to take some time-out to enable you to get your thoughts, and your nerves back in order again."

Again Po nodded very appreciatively.

We eventually climbed back up to the top of the wall where a traditional Buddhist monk stood waiting. He nodded to Wufei as he emerged from over the wall.

"Po, this is Lama Banai, a close and personal friend of mine." Said Wufei. Introducing the two. "He's going to be looking after you while you are outside of the academy." The monk bowed to Po with his hands in a prayer, and smiled clemently. Po returned the gesture, his hands still visibly shaking as he pressed them together.

"Lama Banai doesn't know the slightest thing about martial arts, and is more than happy not to talk about them!" said Wufei, his slightly humourous tone showing through again. "He is however, one of the wisest, most patient, and kindest people I have ever had the honour of knowing." The monk smiled and silently bowed his head again in appreciation to Wufei's comments.

"Do not be afraid to seek his counsel Po" continued Wufei, "You may find his advice extremely valuable, I know I certainly do. You can talk to him about anything in complete confidence, nothing you say to him will be passed on to anyone, including me, not if you don't want it to".

Po nodded, understanding, and in thankfulness. Then he looked down sorrowfully and quietly apologised for being such a pain. Wufei pressed a hand onto his shoulder and told him not to worry, assuring him that everything would be alright again very soon.

I was surprised, and impressed by the way Wufei handled it. His diplomatic skills have come on a very long way since I first knew him.

I did however, feel very ill-informed as we stood and watched Po lead the monk away towards the main building so he could pick up a few belongings before they left. He was to stay in the nearby monastery for a day or two.

Wufei obviously had some plans up his sleeve but was being quite coy about revealing them, at least he was while Po was there.

When Po and the monk had disappeared I turned to Wufei and asked what he was planning.

Wufei looked at me.

"Po's parents are expecting us later today" he announced matter-of-factly, "A bus leaves in thirty minutes and we have to be on it if don't want to miss our train."

I was a little taken aback by the suddenness of it all, but nodded in agreement all the same.

"Make sure you bring your best poker-face along", suggested Wufei, "This might be a tough one"

Sure enough, an hour later we were sat on a train winding our way through giant valleys and mountain ranges. The residence was two hours by train, enough time to plan what we were going to say and get several rehearsals in.

I guess Wufei could have just discussed this on the phone with Po's parents, but the situation was too serious. We both agreed that a personal visit was warranted and was likely to be more effective.

We decided on the excessively honest and directly shocking approach; to tell Po's parents that their son was in the verge of having a breakdown and was (we believed) at serious risk of becoming suicidal unless his 'life schedule' was drastically reviewed.

In a way it was cruel to just spring this on them, but we both agreed if anything was going to yield a result, this would be it. These people needed a wake-up call.

The meeting went much better than we expected. Within ten minutes of us arriving, the mother was in floods of tears, and the father, after a somewhat stubborn reluctance to accept what we were telling him at first, eventually wound up pacing up and down shaking his head and saying something like "Oh my god, what have I done? What have I done?"

Now I know 'technically', in most circumstances these are not really the results one would hope for when meeting the parents of a friend! But in this unique case, it was the best result we could have hoped for.

The father wanted to come back to the academy with us there and then, but Wufei advised against it explaining that Po was undergoing intensive counselling at the monastery and should not be distracted. He explained that Po did not yet know of our visit and would not know until we were happy the news would not damage him further.

Wufei seemed a lot more at ease on the return train journey. I could tell he was very nervous and on-edge on the way out there, and, as it turned out, for good reason. I didn't realise until he explained on the way back, that if our visit was not successful, he would have had an obligation to involve the child protection authorities. He explained that over here, they don't mess about. It's very likely to be a case of 'remove child from family and ask questions later'. Something I think we both realize would have done more harm than good.

I will write more soon. I miss you all.

With love,

Quatre..


	9. Chapter 9

Letters from the Academy Chapter 8

Saturday Week 6

To my dearest friends,

It's now been a week since that unfortunate drama with Po and his parents. I'm glad to report though that Po is now well on his way to recovery. His father came here a few days ago after arranging to visit Po in the monastery where he is still staying. They spent time together on the neutral territory of the monastery and under the mediation of Lama Banai, they've been working on reconciling their differences.

I've visited Po on several occasions since his father's visit and he seems much happier. He's told me his father has agreed to let Po choose his own future and whatever he chooses, he will be supported by his family. He may still choose to take on the responsibilities of running the family dojo, but if he does, it will be by his own choice and not because it is expected of him. Only time will tell if it all works out, but I genuinely think this is one story that will now have a happy ending.

In other news, things are ticking along quite nicely here at the academy now. Everything is settled and classes are fun and exciting. Wufei is taking our Tiger group twice a week now. We had our first lesson with him on Thursday. Once again I have to take my hat off to him with the way he carries out his lessons. I don't think there is a better teacher in the entire academy, although I suppose that's why he is one of the top bosses here. I can't stress to you just how amazing his classes are. They are truly inspirational. It seems like he must spend days planning each lesson, yet he teaches every week day so I'm somewhat baffled as to how he does it.

I'm happy to report my fitness levels seem to be getting up to scratch and I'm no longer finding it so hard to take part in the morning exercises, in fact, and I feel a bit rotten saying this, but I now seem to be quite a bit fitter than some of my younger classmates so I think the danger of being branded as the old man of the group is long-gone.

The Tiger class is a fantastic class. The level of camaraderie is high and everyone feels like we're really a part of something special. After just a couple of weeks there is a rapport that equals that of my older Crane group, and I suspect that loyalty will grow stronger as we move forward into the academic year.

The skill levels of this group are universally considered to be the highest in the academy, and the tiger group is treated with a certain reverence by the the students in the less advanced classes and groups. It's strange, I always imagined there would automatically be an inevitable amount of what I believe is called 'grandstanding', a certain degree of subtle gloating or posturing, and the projection of an elitist superiority feeling amongst the members of the group here when compared to the less advanced classes and students, yet I see or feel no sign of it anywhere. In contrast, every one of the advanced students project a very grounded air of humbleness that at times I find almost moving. It's quite wonderful.

An example of this happened just yesterday when one of the young first year students nervously approached and struck up a conversation with some members of our group as they ate in the dining hall. The kid had clearly been egged-on by his friends to approach the group members. He was clearly intimidated by them and was in awe at the group members he was talking to. He wanted to know how to carry out a certain move in one of the more advanced kata's and was genuinely looking for guidance from the experienced students. Had I been in one of the American academies, I know I could have easily witnessed the advanced group members having a laugh at his expense and giving him a hard time, making this kid jump through various intimidating hoops just to earn the respect of the group before even considering answering any of his questions, but here, the group members happily gave him their time, willingly and enthusiastically helping him. Without hesitation they took this youngster under their wing and showed him the things he wanted to know, and more. There was no price to pay, no hoops to jump through, just good honest and caring advice from genuine people who really seemed to care. It was quite a magical thing to watch and to be a part of.

And that pretty much sums up the whole atmosphere here at the academy. It's sometimes hard to put into words, but there is a sense of belonging here that permeates all levels. It doesn't matter what level of skill you are at, what your background is, where you are from, rich or poor, intelligent or average, young or old, the sense of belonging and being a part of something special is just awesome and supersedes all other emotions and attitudes.

Wufei told me about this wonderful phenomenon before I came here, It's why he knew for certain I would enjoy it here, and he was right. There is so much we could learn from this. If schools, universities and academies in the western world could operate like this, I feel the world might be a very different place.

Well, it's getting late, so I must go now. But I look forward to talking with you all very soon

Love Quatre.

xx


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